Conference Time!

First in person conference since 2020! Flew over to Adelaide for 3 days of ultrasound conferencing with three friends. We had a fun time learning and hanging out together.

The first day of the conference was a Deep Dive in Endometriosis. The speakers were excellent and it was a very enjoyable day. The following two days had a variety of sessions - From Cradle to Grave which followed the pathway of the ultrasound diagnosis, post natal treatment and management throughout the life of a person with Tetralogy of Fallot (a serious heart condition); also a panel session  on the importance of patient centred care / breaking bad news through the eyes of a patient. There were a heap of sessions discussing AI in ultrasound - perhaps an indication of where our world is heading as well as the use of social media / twitter used both by patients and healthcare professional for different reasons. Unfortunately these sessions clashed and we weren't able to get to them.

As often happens you pick up tit bits of info or are shown new techniques at a conference to be used or tried the next time at work. Of course I couldn't believe my eyes with my first scan back of work....a conference perfect image of an ovarian endometrioma stuck to a uterosacral ligament with an endometrial nodule beautifully demonstrated!

Going, Going, Gone (Finally!!!)

Our neighbours signed a contract for a knockdown rebuild last year however they decided not to do the knockdown part. A bit of research revealed they could sell their actual house saving money on the knockdown and earning money by selling it!! Next was to find a potential buyer. Well that seemed easy too - the buyers were keen to purchase the house and move it to their property in Oberon. 

Paperwork needed to be completed however that hit a sticking point when the local council handling the approval was involved in some drama. Several months later, approval was granted. 

Now over 6 months past the original removal date, the house began to be readied. The outside bricks were removed and the house was wrapped in blue plastic. Then the moving company workers were hit with covid so another delay.

Sadly the moving company, who was based in Sydney was sorting out the logistics for the moving process when the Sydney floods in July hit their premises. More delays. Eventually in mid September, movement on the site once again began. The decks were dismantled and the roofing removed. The house was cut in half with front half levered onto two large metal beams and slowly rotated. It looked to be finally happening and we all held our breath!

The next afternoon the front of the house was gone! Then the following morning the back half was gone too. Now all that remains are several piles of rubble, the copse of 'dwarf' snow gums in the front and the pirate ship in the back. Let's hope the building process goes much more smoothly!

Covid Project

I bought this fabric with the intention of having something to do in the circumstance of going into isolation due to having covid or one of the family members contracting covid. Turns out that a) I am yet to get covid and b) when Katy got covid the isolation rules were more flexible and I was required at work anyway!

Not being able to do any running, riding or significant walking because of my bunged knee, I seem to have lots more free time especially on the weekend so I decided that I would complete my covid project of making new covers for our barstools. To be quite honest I'm not sure how much longer the others would last with several rips appearing in various seams.

 

Thanks to an old Ikea cover, I had a ready made pattern. The sun was streaming in through the lounge room window so I set myself up there and began the long process of cutting out enough pieces for the 4 chairs.

Then the sewing began with a few interruptions. By the evening I had finished one chair. The remaining three were slowish going as I'd sewn the top of the chair the wrong way around and had to do a bit of unpicking. Also had to unpick the velcro from the old covers so I could reuse it on the new ones.

By Monday lunchtime, all the covers were complete. The finished product looks great with the colours blending well with the timber and the rest of the room.

  

Indi

 

 Gosh Indi and Leo almost look well behaved at coffee!

Spring Blooms in our Garden

 

Mudroom Evolution

The mudroom design is still plodding along. We are just finalising the interior storage cupboards trying to custom design for our current needs.

The other recent dream is including a timber hot tub out the back....perhaps something like this ...watch this space....

Talking about out the back...currently the garden is growing well and I've had more success with planting the understory. Seedling have been recently added to the verge patch. I may have been a bit too hasty but we will see if they survive the frosts and the possums!

Indi's Days

Indi loves a car ride and that feeling of the wind in her hair!

Indi accompanied us to one of the last Saturday orienteering events on a new map down south. Unfortunately what we didn't realise until we drove into the Pine Island Reserve area was that dogs weren't allowed. Andy and the girls climbed out with their gear and I drove back out of the park pulling up outside the gates.

It just so happened that the Bicentennial National Trail bordered Pine Island Reserve, so Indi and I walked out along that only to discover Stranger Pond. In the end we circumnavigated the pond in the sunshine before returning to pick up the others who had by that time finished their courses with mixed success. Reports were not glowing of this new area and possibly the courses were set not at a moderate level. Anyhow, breakfast and coffee was enjoyed at Two Before Ten in Greenway with the Jones/Walter crew.